Product description

Isaac Newton was born in a stone farmhouse in 1642, fatherless and unwanted by his mother. When he died in London in 1727 he was so renowned he was given a state funeral--an unheard-of honor for a subject whose achievements were in the realm of the intellect. During the years he was an irascible presence at Trinity College, Cambridge, Newton imagined properties of nature and gave them names--"mass," "gravity," "velocity"--things our science now takes for granted. Inspired by Aristotle, spurred on by Galileo's discoveries and the philosophy of Descartes, Newton grasped the intangible and dared to take its measure, a leap of the mind unparalleled in his generation.
James Gleick, the author of Chaos and Genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of "his" generation, brings the reader into Newton's reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motion--ideas so basic to the twenty-first century, it can truly be said: We are all Newtonians.

Author information

James Gleick is an author, reporter, and essayist. His writing on science and technology-including Chaos, Genius, Faster, and What Just Happened-has been translated into thirty languages. He lives in New York.

Review quote

"The biography of choice. . . . Newton the man emerges from the shadows."--"The New York Times""Book Review"
"Succinct, elegant. . . . A sharp, beautifully written introduction to the man." --"The Wall Street Journal
""A masterpiece of brevity and concentration. Isaac Newton sees its angular subject in the round, presenting him as scientist and magician, believer and heretic, monster and man. . . . It will surely stand as the definitive study for a very long time to come. Fortunate Newton!" --John Banville, "The Guardian
""Gleick [is] a clever tour guide to the minds of great geniuses. . . .""Isaac Newton""sheds new light on the difficult personality of a deeply enigmatic figure." "--Seattle Post-Intellignceer
""Elegant, jewel-like...he does not waste a word... Gleick has given us the man and his mind in their full crazyness." --"The New York Times"
"A compelling page-turner. . . . Gleick [is] a clever tour guide to the minds of great geniuses." Isaac Newton "sheds new light on the difficult personality of a deeply enigmatic figure." "--Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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"Beautifully flesh[es] out the alchemical dialectic, its balancing act between the spiritual and the gross." --"The Boston Globe
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"An elegantly written, insightful work that brings Newton to life and does him justice. . . . Gleick proves to be not only a sound explicator of Newton's science but also a capable literary stylist, whose understated empathy with his subject lets us almost see through Newton's eyes." --"Los Angeles Times"
"The biography of choice for the interested layman. . . . [Gleick] makes this multifaceted life remarkably accessible." "--The New York Times Book Review"
"For the casual reader with a serious interest in Newton's life and work, I recommend Gleick's biography as an excellent place to start. It has three important virtues. It is accurate, it is readable, and it is short.... Gleick has gone back to the original noteb

Flap copy

Isaac Newton was born in a stone farmhouse in 1642, fatherless and unwanted by his mother. When he died in London in 1727 he was so renowned he was given a state funeral--an unheard-of honor for a subject whose achievements were in the realm of the intellect. During the years he was an irascible presence at Trinity College, Cambridge, Newton imagined properties of nature and gave them names--"mass, "gravity, "velocity--things our science now takes for granted. Inspired by Aristotle, spurred on by Galileo's discoveries and the philosophy of Descartes, Newton grasped the intangible and dared to take its measure, a leap of the mind unparalleled in his generation.
James Gleick, the author of Chaos and Genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of "his generation, brings the reader into Newton's reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motion--ideas so basic to the twenty-first century, it can truly be said: We are all Newtonians.